Henry Ford claims the secret of a successful life is to find out what is one’s destiny to do, and then to do it. This can also be translated as finding out God’s purpose for our lives and fulfilling it. But what is God’s purpose? That is the million-dollar question on everyone’s mind.
God’s purpose for your life is so personal and so unique, only you can find out His plan for you. I think we often get so confused with other opinions that come at us from family or friends. We often lose sight that we are the ONLY person who can fulfill what God has planned for us. We were perfectly created for that plan. God knew what He was doing and what would shape us into who He meant for us to be.
Society also teaches us that struggle or failure means we made a mistake, or we are not in God’s will. Sin is a mistake. Sin is living outside of God’s will for our lives. Failure is NOT a mistake! We learn from our failures; we grow from our failures. Failure keeps us humble. Struggles do NOT mean you are not in God’s will. One of the things that makes me the craziest is when we are struggling to accomplish something, and someone says, “the door shut so it must not be God’s will.” Seriously?! At what point did we start to think that if it is God’s will, everything will be easy? Nothing is easy!
Consider the story of Ruth. She married Mahlon, the son of Naomi. Mahlon, his father, and his brother die. This is a tragic story that left these women with nothing. Was it not God’s will for Ruth to have married Mahlon? Let’s keep going. Naomi decides to return home and urges Ruth not to follow. Ruth’s reply…
“Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the Lord do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me.” – Ruth
What if Ruth listened to what Naomi thought was best for her? What if Ruth accepted defeat and went back to her family instead of staying with Naomi. Ruth would never have met Boaz! (If you haven’t read their crazy romantic love story, read the book of Ruth.) Do you remember the story of King David? What about Jesus? Guess what? They were descendants of Ruth and Boaz. Even through the horrible struggle, heartbreak, and loss, Ruth was living the life she was meant to live. Another thing I love about Ruth, she was an ambitious woman. Ruth didn’t sit by and wait for things to work out with Boaz. She took the initiative and wrote the pages of her life.
Don’t just sit back and wait for your life to happen. Pray for God’s guidance and then act, go after the dreams He’s placed in your heart. Live the life you were created to live!
